Joseph elton bott



ain, No. 19,557, dated December 5, 1889, and

NITEn STATES PATENT OFFIC JOSEPH ELTON BOTT, OF EYAM, COUNTY OF DERBY,ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF ORDNANCE, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of- Letters Patent No. 463,224, datedNovember 17, 1891.

Application filed J'anuary2, 1891. Serial No. 376,519. (No model.)Patented in England December 5, 1889, No. 19,557, and December 18, 1889,No. 20,380; in Italy May 28, 1890, XXIV, 27,557, and December 24, 1890,XXV, 28,819; in Sweden May 28, 1890.110. 2,846; in Belgium May 29, 1890,No. 90,782, and November 18,1890, No. 92,768: in France May 29,1890,1I0. 205,964, and November 18, 1890,110. 209,597; in Spain August6, 1890, No. 10,866; in Austria-Hungary October 4, 1890,1T0. 28, 150,and April 22, 1891, No. 57,457, and in Germany November 17. 1890, No,58,858,

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ELTON BOTT, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residingat Eyam, in the county of Derby, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Art of ManufacturingComposite Metallic Bodies, such as Ordnance and Armor-Plates, (the samehaving been patented by me in Austria-Hungary, No. 23,450, dated Octoberat, 1890, and No. 57,457, dated April 22, 1891; in Belgium, No. 90,732,dated May 29, 1890, and No. 92,763, dated November 18, 1890; in France,No. 205,964, dated May 29, 1890, and No. 209,597, dated November 18,1890; in Italy, No. 27,557, Vol. XXIV, dated May 28, 1890, and No.28,819, Vol. XXV, dated December 24, 1890; in Spain, No. 10,866, datedAugust 6, 1890; in Sweden, No. 28%, dated May 28, 1890; in Germany, No.58,358, dated November 17, 1890, and in Great Brit- No. 20,380, datedDecember 18, 1889;) and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use thesame. 7

In the manufacture of smooth -bore and rifled ordnance as at presentcarried out it is usual to shrink hoops of steel concentrically roundthe inner tube of the gun to be re-enforced. This necessitates mostcostly and accurate workmanship, and even then the act of shrinking onthe hoops of hot metal leaves the gun-tube subject to unknown and mostsevere strains, more especially so in the case of guns intended to bebored hexagonally on the Whitworth system, instead of being rifled inthe ordinary manner.

My method of constructing ordnance is as 7 follows: I first prepare asuitable gun-tubeof 'proper temper, and where it is intended toconstruct the gun with a hexagonal bore I first rough bore or mill outthe tube to its approximate twisted hexagonal shape. 1 next prepare thetube (in either case) for receiving the outer jacket of tough steel, asfollows: First, the said tube is coated with nickel, (preferably byelectricity.) The reason for my coating thetube with nickel being thatelectrical or magnetic-deposition of nickel acts in a different mannerto that of the deposition of other metals, the plating of which can beeasily stripped off, while my coating of nickel is partially absorbed bythe process of deposition on the steel tube, a combined chemical andmagnetic action taking place. Another reason for my using nickel isthat, unlike other metals, it is very slowly oxidizable even atconsiderably high temperatures, thus retaining its value as a protectingmedium to the steel tube until the molten steel forming the re-enforcingjacket is actually cast on, and at the moment ofcasting the uppersurfaceof the nickel alloys with the molten steel and the compound is absorbedinto the nickel-saturated pores of the steel tube, which are expanded bythe heat of the molton steel, and the subsidiary film of nickel steel soformed becomes a medium for uniting the tubes to the jacket. Theguntube, being hollow, is preferably filled with asbestus fiber or otherrefractory material, and each end is stopped with a suitable plug, towhich is attached pipes capable of transmitting'through the fiber astream of oil or water at considerable pressure, so as to rap idly coolthe tube from the circumference of the bore While the process of castingthe jacket is being accomplished. By this means the inner tube contractsfirst, the molten metal following it up while in a plastic condition,and all the evil effects of unequal shrinkage, as is the casein thesuperimposition of hoops, is avoided, and a gun is quickly produced ofeven large caliber without any of the uncertain elements accompanyingthe ordinary methods hitherto in use.

In applying my invention to the manufacture of compound armor-plates andsimilar articles by casting steel or an alloy of steel with other metalsonto abase of wrought-iron, I proceed of follows: The wrought-ironportion of the armor-plate or other similar articles is first'made inany well-known or suitable manner. It is then cleaned or pickled, and acoating of nickel is deposited thereon so as to dispense with rolling.

by electricity, or such coating maybe applied thereto in any otherconvenient and suitable manner. The said finished or preparedWrought-iron plate or backing is then placed in a suitable mold afterhaving been heated to a welding heat, and steel oran alloy of steel andother metal, or both, is then cast on, By these means I produce anarmor-plate or other similar article having a wrought-iron foundation orbacking covered or protected bya tough and moderately hard shield ofsteel, or of nickel, or of other alloyed steel, or both.

If it is desired to make an armor-plate or other similar article havinga still harder coating or shield, I cast a hard-steel face on the top ofa compound plate prepared in the manner as above described. In effectingthis I heat the compound plate, prepared as above described, to aWelding heat, and then pour on the required amount of steel to producethe desired face, if the said compound plate has had a coating or layerof steel, or of alloyed steel having a percentage of nickel, which issufficient to prevent oxidation. If it has not had such a coatingorlayer, I first clean or pickle the said compound plate and then plateor otherwise coat the same with nickel, after which I heat the saidnickel-protected compound plate to a welding heat, place the same in amold, and then pouron the required amount of steel.

By electroplating or otherwise coating the surface with nickel, asherein described, the plate, when heated to a welding heat, is protectedagainst oxidation, as nickel is very slowly oxidizable, even atconsiderably high temperatures, thus retaining its value as a protectingmedium until the molten metal is actually cast onto the nickel-protectedplate, by which means the intimate union or welding together of thevarious layers forming the combined plate is secured.

Plates constructed as herein described may be employed as armor forvessels, forts, and other buildings or places, or they may be used inthe construction of safes and doors of strong rooms, or for otherpurposes where such a description of plate is required.

The principal reason why I choose nickel as the combining medium isbecause of its acting as a perfect preventive from oxidation of a steelgun-tube or a plate at high temperatures, as I find that no other metalcapable of being electrically deposited on iron has this attribute.

Of course I am aware that small articles have been coated with varioussubstances such as tin, copper, &c.-previous to other metals being castthereon; but such metals, being volatile at a temperature much belowthat of molten steel, are absolutely of no use for the purpose ofprotecting a gun-tube from oxidation during the operation of castinground the same.

Having fully described myinventiomwhat I desire to claim and secure byLetters Patent is 1. The improvement in the art of manufacturingcomposite metallic bodies, such as ordnance and armor-plates, whichconsists in applying to a metallic foundation-piece a coating of nickel,then heating the same to a welding heat, and then casting uponthenickeled body a covering or layer of another kind or quality ofmetal, substantially as described.

2. The improvement in the art of manufacturing composite metallicbodies, such as ordnance and armor-plates, which consists in applying toa metallic foundation -piece"a coating of nickel and then casting uponthe nickeled body a covering or layer of another kind or quality ofmetal, substantially as described.

3. The improvement in the art of manufacturing composite metallicbodies, such as ordnance and armor-plates, which consists inelectroplating with nickel a metallic foundation-piece and then castingthereon a covering or layer of another kind or quality of metal,substantially as described.

JOSEPH ELTON BOTT. \Vitnesses:

B. J. B. MILLS, CLAUDE K. thus, 23 Southampton Buildings, London, PatentAgents.

